


Ben Eats a Bagel

by tehmoonofficial



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Gen, No Incest, World saved, post S1
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-29
Updated: 2020-03-29
Packaged: 2021-02-28 16:54:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23370532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tehmoonofficial/pseuds/tehmoonofficial
Summary: Ben rolls his eyes. “I just want to have a cream cheese bagel. Who knows, maybe once you find a way to burn it, it’ll become a ghost. I’ll be able to eat it then.”Klaus fakes a scowl at the thin air.“What? It’s much more likely than me becoming corporeal.”
Relationships: The Hargreeves Family
Comments: 18
Kudos: 139





	Ben Eats a Bagel

**Author's Note:**

  * For [livtontea](https://archiveofourown.org/users/livtontea/gifts).



“It’s almost ready!” Klaus sat on a barstool, watching the toaster’s lever with the eyes of a hawk. 

“Not to burst your bubble, but that’s the easiest part.” Ben sat next to him. He was invisible to all but his medium brother. However,  _ medium  _ wasn’t exactly the word for Klaus, who insisted on wearing neon at all times.  _ Loud ouija board  _ fit much better.

“No!” Klaus looked offended. “I had to grab a bagel, cut it in half with a  _ butter knife _ , Ben, a butter knife! And THEN, I had to separate it. Do you know the draining feeling of pulling two sliced pieces of a bagel apart? It’s cruel.” 

Ben rolls his eyes. “I just want to have a cream cheese bagel. Who knows, maybe once you find a way to burn it, it’ll become a ghost. I’ll be able to eat it then.” 

Klaus fakes a scowl at the thin air. 

“What? It’s much more likely than me becoming corporeal.” Ben rests a ghost hand on his ghost cheek, leaning against the countertop as much as he can. 

“Don’t be so glum, mi hermano.” Klaus stands from his barstool with a confident grin. Then, the bagel halves pop up from the toaster. “A-ha!” He dashes over and grabs them, despite the heat, and places them on a plate. 

“How much cream cheese do you want?” he asks, already spreading it all over a bagel half.

Ben hesitated. It had been thirteen years since the last time he had a bagel. Maybe longer, considering Reginald’s regulated dinners. Eventually, he replied, “As much as possible.” 

Klaus nodded in agreeance and put a huge hunk of the cream cheese block onto the bread. He spread it, squished the other half on top, and slid it to the middle of the countertop. 

“Okay. Let’s try this again, Benny.” He climbed up onto the counter island and crossed his legs. He held his palms up, the tattoos facing outwards, and wiggled his fingers like a magician about to perform a trick. 

“Here we go,” Ben didn’t dare change his tone to seem at all excited. It wasn’t worth it to get his hopes up… right? 

Either way, he climbed up next to his brother and went cross-legged. He stretched his shoulders---for no reason, really, but it seemed like something a ghost should do to prepare for being corporeal.

“Okay…” Klaus dragged the word out. Oddly enough, his heart was beating faster. 

The silence was intense.

“Hey, Ben?”   
  


“Yes, Klaus?” Ben deadpanned.

  
“Do---do you remember exactly how I did it that one night, or-”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake.” Ben smacked his hands down on his knees in frustration. “Isn’t there some sort of ‘deep down tense-ness’ or whatever?” He did air quotes. 

“What in Girl on a Bike’s name is _ that?” _

He sighed. “My powers worked that way.” 

“You could have just smoked weed.” Klaus shrugged, being totally serious.

“Klaus,  _ no-” _

“Well, it’s not like _ I’m  _ going to. I’m staying clean. It was just a suggestion for you from thirteen years ago.” 

Ben rearranged his legs so one leg was bent at the knee, and the other was still resting sideways. He slumped an arm over the bent leg. “Please just do it. The bagel is cooling,” his tone was exasperated.

“Yep,” Klaus nods, eyes wide. “Let’s go.” 

Another beat. Ben closed his eyes---just waiting for that corporeal feel of cool air and the subtle smell of saltwater.

A knife flew through the room. It  _ thunked  _ against the cupboards.

  
“Holy shit!” Klaus ducked. Ben did the same. “Diego!” Klaus shouted. “Stop that!”

Ben’s eyes were fully open now. He grimaced as Diego entered the room with an innocent expression on his face. He was still leaning backwards from dodging, the bagel pressing up against his back.

Wait,  _ what? _

“Klaus,” Ben jolted to a sitting position. His hands were glowing blue, actually  _ glowing!  _ “Klaus!” 

“Ben?!” Klaus turned to him, and Diego did the same, with a stupefied expression on both their faces. “Ben, it’s working!” 

“...Ben?” Diego gaped. His voice sounded tiny.

“I---You can see me!” Ben grinned, a laugh wheedling out of him. “You can actually---wait.” 

Klaus raised an eyebrow and opened his mouth to begin to question. Diego was frozen in place. 

“The bagel is cooling.” Ben finished speaking, the serious look still on his face and in his tone. He grabbed it. Took the biggest bite ever. And holy  _ shit,  _ that was a bagel. An actual bagel that actually tasted like the best thing he had ever actually eaten.

Klaus burst into laughter. Diego’s eyes were shiny. The tense energy in the room faded away. 

“Whath aremf  _ you  _ lauthing ath?” Ben took another huge bite of the bagel.

Diego started laughing too, covering his mouth with his hands. The others slowly filed in, Five choosing to teleport. His jaw dropped open, and many of the others had similar expressions. 

There was a rush of chatter, questions, hugs, and crying. Ben couldn’t describe it even if he wanted to; it went by so quickly. It was so  _ needed,  _ the warmth of his siblings and the feel of tears actually running down his face. 

“Hold up.” Ben pulled away from the group hug. They stared at him questioningly. “Diego, why  _ did  _ you throw that knife?” He pointed at the knife lodged in the cupboard door with a sweeping gesture. 

Vanya’s gaze traveled over to the knife in question. Shock betrayed itself in her eyes, and she started giggling, something she hadn’t done since she was little. 

“I---,” Diego stammered. His speech impediment came out at times like these. “I-I wuh-wanted to see if danger had anything to do with it.” The  _ like last time  _ left out of his sentence made Vanya blush a little with embarrassment. 

Ben’s eyebrows raised. “Of  _ course  _ it did, you rat. Fear drives your powers.” He shot an amused glare at Klaus.

Klaus shuffled awkwardly. The others, not in the know about what happened at the motel, were slightly confused about this breakthrough. But, there was one thing Five wanted to know the most. 

“Since when were you so mouthy?” The teenaged elder blurted. 

There was a tension-filled pause again. Then, Ben doubled over laughing, and the rest did the same. 

And to think this was all because of a bagel.

**Author's Note:**

> This was inspired by a joke prompt that @octopodium gave me. I hope you all liked it as much as me! If you did, go follow me @tehmoonofficial on tumblr! I shitpost and have the occasional art there. :D <3


End file.
